Letting the Cat Out
by wp1fan
Summary: GS. Is the cat out of the bag? Response to challenge.


Title: Letting the Cat Out  
  
Author: Ann  
  
Obligatory Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, I'd never let spoilers loose, so people like me couldn't sit up half the night and read them while they were *suppose* to be submitting their response to the challenge. Hmph.  
  
Anyway, I'm late...as usual. And over the 1,000 word limit. Again, as usual.  
  
*This is a response to the Unbound Challenge. First and last sentences were provided. HUGE, MASSIVE thanks to Mossley and Kris for beta-ing for me and encouraging me to finish these little ditties. Also, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. You guys are beyond sweet.  
  
"That's some swarm of mice."  
  
"What are you looking at?" Sara asked as she peered over Grissom's shoulder. "'Killer Mice'? Oh, no. We are not renting that."  
  
He turned his head slightly, sending a small pout in her direction. It took every ounce of willpower not to capture that pout with her mouth, kissing him senseless like she'd been craving to do for weeks. Small goodnight pecks just weren't cutting it anymore. She needed this man. Standing strong, she shook her head. "You know I hate horror movies."  
  
"It's not a horror movie. It's actually a documentary. Killer mice, also known as grasshopper mice, are a real—"  
  
"You can tell me all about them later," Sara interrupted, pressing her fingertips to his lips. "After we watch the movie of my choice," she whispered with a sweet grin.  
  
"Deal." Part of him was oddly excited about the prospect of the inevitable chick-flick that they would be watching that evening. On their way to the grocery store, she had mentioned a few titles that he knew to be romantic. Taking on the clichéd male role, he feigned indifference to her suggestions, but could think of nothing more than the two of them curled into the corner of her couch, taking in the sight of fated lovers. With any luck, he wouldn't be discussing killer mice anytime soon...he had many other things he'd like to share with her. Before his thoughts could wander further, and render his body out of control, he decided to give himself a bit space.  
  
"How about you pick the movie while I go ahead and grab the vegetables for dinner?"  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
"Okay." Grissom's hand found hers, and he stood there, knowing there was an idiotic grin plastered upon his face, but not really caring. "Why can't I let you go?" he whispered seductively, leaning in and letting his lips brush hers lightly.  
  
"Why would you want to?"  
  
"Mm...I don't."  
  
Starting to deepen the kiss, he was brought to a halt by her hand on his chest.  
  
"We cannot do this here," she chuckled into his shoulder, hugging him tightly to her.  
  
"Isn't that my line?"  
  
"Do not try blaming that thing in your office on me! If you wouldn't have looked at me like that, I would never have kissed you. You were asking for it."  
  
"How did I look at you?"  
  
He could only imagine what his eyes were telling her that day in his office; he was aroused beyond belief. She had just rolled out from under a car, hair up, face smudged; the top of her jumpsuit was undone and hanging off of her hips, her white tank top not leaving much to his imagination.  
  
Her eyes were darkening now just as they had then. He watched her blink several times before focusing back on him and slapping him lightly on the arm. "Quit it!"  
  
"I didn't do—"  
  
"Shut up and go!" They both laughed as she pushed him out of the video section of the store. "I'll meet you in the car."  
  
"Okay, okay." He waved back to her as he walked towards the produce section, which was wedged in the opposite corner.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
"Celery, celery, celery. Where the hell is the celery?" Grissom mumbled as he moved along the wall of produce, tossing items into his basket.  
  
"Right next to the carrots."  
  
Grissom jumped, startled, when he heard the familiar voice behind him. "Catherine...hi."  
  
"Whatcha makin'?" she asked, taking a moment to peek at his groceries. "Hm. Must be on a health kick."  
  
"Yes. I'm making changes." Remembering that when it came to gossip and personal lives, Catherine was pretty intuitive, he decided to say no more. Skimming the entrance to the video store and the front checkouts and not seeing Sara, he figured that he had just a few minutes before she started wondering about him. "I have to go. You have a good evening, Catherine."  
  
"Whoa, why the hurry?" The blonde maneuvered in front him, trapping Grissom between her and a stand of potent onions. "I know you've never been Mr. Personality, but can't you summon enough courtesy to chit-chat for a few minutes?"  
  
"I would—"  
  
"Am I keeping you from something?" She followed his gaze once around the store, then back to where they were standing.  
  
"Actually...yes. A movie. I rented a movie. Dinner, a movie, bed; just a normal night for me." He knew he was stammering and willed himself to just shut up, but everyone knew that wasn't possible with Catherine. In a work setting, he could just close her out and chalk it up to being busy with paperwork. The social setting of the grocery store didn't provide him with that luxury. He couldn't very well tell her that Sara was waiting for him and that they, hopefully, would have a romantic evening ahead of them. They had agreed that eventually they would leak hints about their newfound relationship, but that would only be when the time was right.  
  
"Hey, sweetheart, I've been wondering where you were."  
  
So much for the right time...  
  
As Grissom spun in her direction, Sara noticed a smirking Catherine behind him in all of her glory. Sara briefly wondered if running and hiding were feasible options. But the look on Catherine's face gave every indication that she saw her, recognized her, and had already put two and two together to form many theories in her head.  
  
"Um, Catherine, hi!"  
  
"My, my, my... I'd ask what we have here, but that seems fairly obvious...'sweetheart'," she chortled, jabbing Gil obnoxiously with her elbow.  
  
"It's not what you're thinking," Sara lied, pleading with her eyes for Grissom's help. He simply shrugged his shoulders with a faint grin, clearly curious as to where she was going to take her fib. "We...um...are going over a cold case tonight." Watching Catherine eye Grissom's groceries, evidently trying to trip her on her little white lie, Sara flowed into yet another. "Dinner just fit into the schedule."  
  
"And the movie?"  
  
"You never know how quickly you can hit another dead end. Better to be prepared than to waste an entire evening for naught." Sara was proud of herself on her automatic response to that one. She raised an eyebrow, willing Catherine to back down, but letting her know she was ready for whatever she threw at her next.  
  
"And the bed?"  
  
Okay, almost ready...  
  
"The what?"  
  
"Bed. Gil said he was planning a nice evening at home. Dinner, a movie, and a bed. I didn't ask whose; he didn't tell," she cooed.  
  
Sara searched Grissom's face, in need of more help, reassurance, anything... He looked relatively calm in spite of the cat pretty much being out of the bag. Actually, he looked...oh, not that look...not now.  
  
"Catherine. We've got to go. Lots of work ahead of us." Grissom gripped Sara's arm and started past Catherine.  
  
"Oh, come on. Just admit it already! I've suspected for years that this would eventually happen. Will it kill you two just to let me know I was right?"  
  
"Goodbye, Catherine."  
  
Catherine turned around to focus on the green veggies in front of her, wondering if perhaps this was just a really weird dream. Grissom and Sara? While completely perfect for one another, the idea of them actually overcoming their hang-ups seemed almost too good to be true.  
  
Noticing someone out the corner of her eye, she glanced up to see an almost- out-of-breath Grissom. "Almost forgot the celery." He held up the bundle for her to see.  
  
"Wouldn't want to do that."  
  
"Nope. Night."  
  
"Goodnight, Gil."  
  
"Oh, and Catherine?" She spun around and watched him walking backwards towards the exit, grinning happily. "You were right."  
  
Smiling wistfully, Catherine sighed as she bagged the artichokes. 


End file.
